Titling
this album Solo Recordings: Volume 3 may
be a bit prosaic, but Steve Hill isn’t kidding.
Even in the studio, Hill likes to record as a live one-man band. Which
seems like an unnecessary constraint to me – why make life difficult for
yourself? But regardless of his approach,
he manages to produce material of considerable variety and quality across this
outing.
Hill
sets out his stall in convincing fashion with ‘Damned’, a stomp reminiscent of
early Black Keys, with fuzzy, scratchy guitar that hits the mark. He continues in a similar vein with
‘Dangerous’, which features a great riff crashing around a more soulful vocal
of Paul Rodgers-ish depth. There’s a bit too much of a splashing cymbal sound
in evidence, but that quibble aside it’s a cracker.
Steve Hill - ain't nobody else there |
Hill
doesn’t stick to the multi-instrumental template throughout though. He introduces a lighter mood with the likes
of ‘Slowly Slipping Away’ and ‘Troubled Times’, both of which feature
twinkling, tasteful, Jimmy Page-goes-Bert Jansch acoustic guitar picking. He adds harp to the mix on the former,
along with vocals in a slightly higher register, producing a more relaxed vibe
over a laid-back beat. ‘Troubled Times',
meanwhile, is a more reflective, shimmering piece, with plenty of variety in
the guitar work to create a really interesting, excellent tune.
He
takes it easy on ‘Emily’ too, with some fun acoustic strumming over a bouncing
beat, imbued with summer sun and romantic hope. ‘Going Down The Road Feeling
Bad', meanwhile, is a ripping and light acoustic number that manages to meld a
gospel feel with a chilled vibe, vaguely recalling fellow Canuck Matt Andersen.
There
are still some heavier grooves though, such as ‘Rhythm All Over’, on which Hill
describes his usual modus operandi while adding a bit more variation to his typical
stomp. It opens with a jagged riff that Hill proceeds to take in different
directions around the chorus, and features a strong slide solo. ‘Walking Grave’
is an old-fashioned blues made heavy, and busy with some shifts in tempo, while
Hill rips out some big guitar chords.
A
couple of other stompers are satisfactory, if less dynamic. And I could
probably live without both ‘Still A Fool And A Rolling Stone’ (aka ‘Catfish
Blues’) and Hill’s version of ‘Rollin & Tumblin’, even if neither lets the
side down. The former is in a slow tempo
a la Hendrix and adds an interesting coda, while Hill’s sonorous vocals
continue to impress with their authenticity. The latter is a straight ahead
reading, though it eschews the classic ‘shave and a haircut, two bits’ rhythm,
but does feature some shuddering slide and a more arresting ‘Stop Breaking
Down’ interlude that plays around with the rhythm.
Steve
Hill explores some heavier dimensions than the aforementioned Matt Andersen,
but as Solo Recordings: Volume 3
demonstrates, he too does a damn good job of carrying the torch for the true
solo musician. This is an album with guts and taste, and I say more power to
Steve Hill’s elbow.
Solo Recordings: Volume 3 is released on 6 October 2017 by No Label Records.
Steve Hill is touring Germany in September, and supporting Wishbone Ash on a 27 date UK tour in October and November.
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